Search operation launched: Security forces clash with militants in Akka Khel

One militant killed, more than 100 suspects arrested in Bara.

PESHAWAR/ BARA:

Security forces, backed by tanks and heavy weaponry, launched a search operation in the Akka Khel area of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency on Tuesday.

A security official confirmed that the forces, in collaboration with the Frontier Corps (FC), initiated the operation in troubled areas, including Misri Chowk and Gud Malang.

Khyber Agency and its surrounding areas have seen continuous skirmishes between security forces and militants, especially in Mattani and Bara. Attacks from both sides have been reported frequently.

On Tuesday, militants of the Mangal Bagh-led Lashkar-e-Islam exchanged fire with security personnel, in which one militant identified as Naik Mat was killed. Security forces also rounded up more than 100 suspects after the offensive.

“The suspects were shifted to the Fort Slop Camp in Jamrud tehsil of the agency,” the security official said, adding that they will be released after an investigation.

Police checkpoint ambush

Police engaged in an hour-long clash with militants after they attacked a police check post Monday night.

Police said that the militants put up stiff resistance. A gun battle ensued for an hour, after which the militants escaped towards the Akka Khel area. The Frontier Corps (FC) provided cover with artillery fire from Melwat area.

The police claimed to have killed four militants, but this could not be verified because there were no bodies found.

A large contingency of FC and police personnel backed by armoured vehicles is deployed in the area to seal the border of Khyber Agency due to the search operation.

“The FC has been deployed along the Kohat Road in Mattani to help police secure the road from militant attacks. They could also provide us help during an ambush,” said a Mattani police official.

IED attacks injure FC personnel

Three FC personnel were injured when a remote-controlled bomb exploded inside a market in Faqirabad area of Badhaber. “The FC had been deployed in the Mujeeb market to seal the area when the explosion occurred,” said a Badhaber police official. Constable Zulfiqar, Zahid and Nemat Gul suffered minor injuries and were taken to the hospital.

In another incident, the bomb disposal squad (BDS) defused a bomb with five kilogrammes of explosives planted near a flour mill in Sheikhan. Suspected militants were targeting a police vehicle. People spotted the device and informed the police who called the BDS.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2012.